Door latching apparatus



Sept. 6, 1955 L. R. HocK 2,717,064

DOOR LATCHING APPARATUS Filed oct. e, 1952 j?? 1r.v pi?. 2,

7. INVENTOR- V G93 J6 465575@ R. flock, BY

llnited States Patent() DOOR. LATCHING APPARATUS Lester R. Hock, Inglewood, Calif.

Application October. 6,y 1952,.,SerialNo.. 313,275

7 Claims. (,Cl. 189-46) The present invention. relates to closure devices, and more particularly to apparatus. for releasably latching doors, and the like, in closed position.

An object of the presentinvention is to provide adoor latching apparatus which is -located in a comparatively ilush fashion adjacent the. door surface, so. as to greatly minimize-the extent of protrusion of the apparatus from the door surface.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a door latching apparatus arranged to take advantage of the force of. gravity in maintaining the latching apparatus t in closed position.

A further object of the invention is. to provide a..door latching apparatus which is positive in its door latching action, is easily shifted betweenlatched and unlatched positions, possesses a comparatively great holding force, and is economical to. manufacture.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which maybe made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a. form in which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of thepresent specification. It will now be described in detail,for theV purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detaileddescriptionis not to be taken ina limiting sense, since the scope'of the invention is best dened. by the appended.` claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation .of a door and associated door jamb device embodying the invention, withthe door latch disclosed in closed position; K

Fig. 2 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1^, onan enlarged scale, disclosing the latching portion of the apparatus elevated to open position;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 3-3 on Fig-2, with the door latch in open position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the latch in closed position. f,

As shown in the drawings, a compartment or cabinet has a vertical opening 11 therein defined by the top and bottom portions 12, 1-3 of the cabinet, and also by its spaced -apart jamb portions 134, I5. A door or closure member 16 is adaptedto t over the opening 11 and to be releasably latchedin closedposition. The door itself is suitably pivotally mounted on one of the side jamb members by means of any suitable hinge 17, one of the hinge plates 18A being securedto-the door 16, as by the use of a vertical row of rivets or bolts 19. The other side of the door 16 has a latching device or apparatus 20 associated with it, which is adapted to releasably secure the vertically arranged door member in closed position with respect to the jamb member 14.

The door latch includes a vertically elongate member 21, that may be made of sheet metal, and including a front plate portion 22 adapted to slide along the outer surface of the door or closure member 16. This plate portion is mounted on a pair of vertically spaced pins 2,717,064 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 23 extending throughv parallel inclined slots 24 provided in the plate portion. Thev slots 24 are inclined in a downward direction/leading toward the hinge side of the door. The parallelsides 25. of the slots 24 are slightly wider than the. diameter of an intermediate boss portion 26 formed. on. eachl pin. 23, which provides a shoulder 27 engaging the outersurface of the door 16. Each pin also includes a: shank portion 28 extending inwardly through a .hole 29=in the door to the interior of the latter, the inner .portion of theshank 29 being upset to a slight extent', for the purpose of preventing outward removal of the pin 23 from the door. EachA pin further includes a retaininghead 30 of a larger. diameter than the intermediate boss 26, which Vprovides a shoulder 31 adapted to engage the outer surfaceof the latch plate 22 on the oppositeside of.the:slot: 24 through which it extends.

It is evident that the two retaining and guiding pins 23 are firmly secured in vertically spaced relation to each other. on the door 16 and serve to hold the inner surface of the plate.. 22 in slidable contact with the outer surface of'thedoor 16.

The'outer marginal: portion of the latch 21 is of generallychannel. or groove shape, including an intermediate web portion 32 thatisbent inwardly away from the plate portiont22- ofthe latch. The web 32 merges into a flange 33 extending-ina. direction toward therpins 23, this flange being generally parallel. toy the-plate 22 so that the plate 22, flange 3'3 andweb 32. together provide a vertically extending groove 34. VThe flange 33 itself merges into arearwardly directed. finger engaging portion 35, by means of whichthe latch may be operated, if desired.

The jamb member 14 on the latch side of the door 16 is provided with asuitably formed rib 36 extending outwardly from a side wall.37 ofthe compartment or cabinet 10,A thisA rib conforming generally in shape tothe groove portion 34 of. the latch member, and being adapted to be received. therewithin. As disclosed most clearly in Fig. 4, when the latch is in closed position the plate portion 22 engages the front face of the. rib 36, whereas the il-ange portion. 33 engages the rearface of the rib. i The door latch member 21 normally tends to occupy the downwardposition, such as shown in Fig. l, in which the pins 23-are at the upper ends of the inclined slots 24. When in. this position, the channel shaped portion 34 ofthe latch member is disposed over the stationary rib 36 of the cabinet.. The force of gravity tends to retain the door. latchY member in this downward position, and, therefore, maintains the channel member snugly positionedrover the rib 36, in order to maintain the door 16 in closed position across the opening 11.

When it is desired to open the door, the latch 21 is elevated with respect to the door 16. Because of the inclined slot`24 and pin 23 arrangement, the elevating movement cams the door latch 21 outwardly in a direction parallel tothe door, so as to remove the channel portion 34' of the latch completely fromy the rib 36, in the manner 'disclosedi-n Figs. 2" and '3. The extent of this outward movement is limited by engagement of the pins 23 with thel lower ends ofthe inclined slots 24. The door 16 can then be swung on its` hinge 17 to an open position, such as `disclosedin broken lines in Fig. 3. While the door is in open position, it is not necessary to hold the latch 21 in its elevated condition, but it can be allowed to drop. However, when it is desired to relatch the door in closed position, the latch 21 is again elevated to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the door 16 moved to its closed location with respect to the jamb members 14, 15, whereupon the latch can be released and will drop downwardly, the inclined slots 24 moving the latch in a direction toward the door hinge 17, to place the channel portion 34 completely over the rib 36, or in the latched position disclosed in Figs. 1 and 4.

It is, accordingly, apparent that a door latching apparatus has been provided which is relatively iiush with respect to the outer surface of the door 16. The only protuberances are those due to the thickness of the plate portion 22 and the thickness of the retaining heads 30 on the pins 23. There are no knobs or projections that will interfere with location of another cabinet closely adjacent the cabinet illustrated, nor can any knobs be inadvertently broken or damaged because of the extent of their outward projections from the door. In addition, it is to be noted that the force of gravity is constantly acting on the door latch 21, tending to maintain it in a lower position, which holds the channel shaped portion 34 completely over the stationary rib member 36 of the cabinet, thereby precluding inadvertent unlatching of the door.

The inventor claims:

l. In apparatus for latching closure members: a structure having an opening; a closure member pivotally mounted on said structure to open and close said opening; a latch member slidable on said closure member and having a groove therein, said latch member being bodily translatable in upward and downward directions on said closure member; said structure having a rib receivable in said groove; and a pin and inclined slot connection between said latch member and closure member, said slot being inclined in a direction to bring and maintain said groove over said rib when said latch member is moved bodily downward along said closure member to hold said closure member in closed position over said structure opening, bodily movement of said latch member upwardly along said closure member withdrawing said groove from said rib to allow said closure member to be shifted to open position.

2. In apparatus for latching closure members: a structure having an opening; a closure member pivotally mounted on said structure to open and close said opening; a latch member slidable on said closure member and having a groove therein, said latch member being bodily translatable on said closure member; said structure having a rib receivable in said groove, and a plurality of pin and inclined slot connections between said latch member and closure member, said slots being parallel to each other and inclined in the same direction to bring and maintain said groove over said rib when said latch member is translated bodily in one direction along said closure member to hold said closure member in closed position over said structure opening, bodily translation of said latch member in the opposite direction along said closure member withdrawing said groove from said rib to allow said closure member to be shifted to open position.

3. In apparatus for latching closure members: a structure having an opening and an external, longitudinally extending rib to one side of said opening; a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said structure at the opposite side of said opening; a latch member slidable v along said closure member and having a groove portion disposed laterally outward of said closure member, said latch member being bodily translatable in upward and downward directions on said closure member; and a pin and inclined slot connection between said latch member and closure member, said slot being inclined in a direction to cause the weight of said latch member to shift said latch member downward and laterally toward said opposite side of said opening to bring and maintain said groove portion over said rib.

4. In apparatus for latching closure members: a structure having an opening and an external, vertically extending rib at one side of said opening; a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said structure for movement about a vertical axis at the opposite side of said opening; a latch member slidable along said closure member and having a vertical groove portion disposed laterally outward of said closure member, said latch member being bodily translatable in upward and downward directions on said closure member; and a pin and slot connection between said latch member and closure member, said slot being inclined in a downward direction toward said vertical axis to cause the weight of said latch member to shift said latch member downwardly and laterally toward said axis and dispose said groove portion over said rib.

5. In apparatus for latching closure members: a structure having an openingk and an external, vertical extending rib at one side of said opening; a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said structure for movement abouta vertical axis at the opposite side of said opening; a latch member having a plate portion slidable along the external surface of said closure member and having a vertical groove portion disposed laterally outward of said closure member, said latch member being bodily translatable in upward and downward directions on said closure member; and a plurality of vertically spaced pin and slot connections between said plate portion and closure member, said slots being parallel to each other and inclined in a downward direction toward said vertical axis to cause the weight of said latch member to shift said latch member downward and laterally toward said axis and dispose said groove portion over said rib.

6. In apparatus for latching closure members: a structure having an opening and an external, vertically extending rib at one side of said opening; a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said structure for movement about a vertical axis at the opposite side of said opening; a latch member having a plate portion slidable along the external surface of said closure member and having a vertical groove portion disposed laterally outward of said closure member, said latch member being bodily translatable in upward and downward directions on said closure member; said plate portion having a plurality of vertically spaced inclined slots, said slots being inclined in a downward direction toward said vertical axis, said closure member having a plurality of pins tting in said slots whereby the weight of said latch member shifts said latch member downward and laterally toward said vertical axis and disposes said groove portion over said rib.

7. Apparatus for latching closure members as dened in claim 6 wherein said pins have head portions engaging the exterior surface of said plate portion to retain said latch member on said closure member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 16,874 Foster et al. Mar. 24, 1857 87,907 Brumback Mar. 16, 1869 569,724 Oestmann Oct. 20, 1896 1,279,519 Davis Sept. 24, 1918 1,473,869 Pinten Nov. 13, 1923 1,797,511 Mensik Mar. 24, 1931 1,907,528 Evans May 9, 1933 

